Arctic haze is a thin, persistent, brown haze that causes limited visibility on the horizons of what had been previously very clear arctic skies. It is most visible in the early spring and can be seen from northern Greenland, the arctic coasts of Canada and Alaska and occasionally in eastern Siberia....

Bacteria are living things that belong to a group all by themselves. They are small, single cell organisms called prokaryotes that do not contain a nucleus and are usually found in very large groups because they can quickly multiply...

The Canadian Bottled Water Association defines bottled water as water that meets all federal and provincial regulations for potable water, is sealed in a sanitary container, and is sold for human consumption. Potable means that the water is safe for human consumption.

Campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease caused by C. jejuni. It is also referred to as Campylobacter enteritis or gastroenteritis. Most cases of C. jejuni are sporadic (appearing singly or at widely scattered places) or involve small family groups, although some common-source outbreaks involving many people have been recorded. It is believed that consuming less than 500 cells can cause illness.

For the City of Saskatoon, and to a large degree the City of Regina, the water comes from the South Saskatchewan River, which originates in the Rocky Mountains. Calgary and Edmonton waters also come from the Rocky Mountains.

Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacteria Vibrio cholerae. Cholera was prevalent in the 1800s, but due to proper treatment of sewage and drinking water, has become rare in developed countries. V. cholerae can be found in contaminated food or water, especially in areas of poor sanitation and water treatment.

It is very difficult to reverse the effects of water pollution. Natural processes that cleanse the water can take years, decades, or even centuries, and even with costly technological processes, it can take years to remove all of the harmful substances from the water.

A water contaminant is a substance which is found in water that has the potential to pose a risk to public health at certain levels. Some contaminants occur naturally in the environment and seep into water sources through erosion. Unfortunately, many of the contaminants found in water are a result of human activities. The industrial wastes from factories, refineries, mines and mills all contain harmful substances which can contaminate water sources.

Many water treatment plants use a combination of coagulation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection to provide clean, safe drinking water to the public. Worldwide, a combination of coagulation, sedimentation and filtration is the most widely applied water treatment technology, and has been used since the early 20th century.

The Coxsackie virus was first isolated in Coxsackie, New York in 1948. There are sixdifferent Coxsackie B viruses, each responsible for different symptoms and diseases.Coxsackie B viruses are responsible for numerous cases of central nervous systeminfections in infants and children, as well as heart muscle infections in both childrenand adults.

The Cree language is spoken by approximately 75,000 people across Canada, making it the most spoken of Canada’s Aboriginal languages. More than 75 percent of the Cree speakers live in Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba.

Cryptosporidiosis is a severe diarrheal disease caused by a microscopic parasite, Cryptosporidium parvum, abbreviated C. parvum. It (C. parvum) lives in the intestinal tracts of people and a wide variety of animals, and is transmitted when people or animals ingest food or water that it has contaminated. Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite.

How many times have we been told to wash our hands before sitting down at the supper table or after touching money and other dirty surfaces? By washing up we think that we’re clean and microorganism-free. We have baths, cook our food, treat our sewage and even cover our mouths when we cough and sneeze to prevent the spread of those tiny dirty particles that could make us sick.

Climate change is expected to increase the severity of weather. This means that some regions will experience an increase in rainfall and flood risk, while regions that are prone to droughts may experience more extreme droughts.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were first synthesized in 1881, and commercial production in the United States began in 1929. PCBs were used in the electrical industry, as well as surface coatings and plasticizers in sealants, caulking, rubber, paints and asphalt. By 1972, scientific evidence showed that PCBs were an environmental and human health hazard and, in 1977, the manufacturing and non-electrical use of PCBs was banned. PCBs are a chemical that gained a lot of attention when scientific evidence began to suggest that it was an extremely dangerous substance.

Escherichia coli, abbreviated E. coli, is a bacterium that is found in the large intestine or feces of healthy warm-blooded animals and humans. Most E. coli strains are harmless and serve a useful function in the body by stopping the growth of harmful bacteria species and by making necessary vitamins.

About 70 percent of the earth is water, but only 2.5 percent of that is freshwater. Of the freshwater, 68.9 percent is in the form of glaciers and snow cover, 30.8 percent is groundwater, and about 0.3 percent is in lakes and rivers.

In the Terai region of Nepal, many tube wells - a major source of drinking water - have tested positive for arsenic. The arsenic occurs naturally in sediments from the Himalayas. Levels higher than 600 parts per billion have been detected (the United States Environmental Protection Agency sets a standard for arsenic in drinking water at 10 parts per billion).

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the procedure of creating fractures in shale, coalbed and tight-sand formations by injecting fluid (such as water, oil, or propane) into cracks to force them further open. This enlarges fissures which allow more oil and gas (methane) to flow out of the rock and into the wellbore. From there, the oil and gas can be extracted.

Giardiasis is an infection of the small intestine caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia. Giardia is one of the most common causes of waterborne disease in humans in the U.S. and Canada, and is the most frequent cause of non-bacterial diarrhea in North America.

The Great Lakes are a set of five lakes in Canada and the United States, connected by approximately 5,000 tributaries. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The Great Lakes basin includes two countries, eight states, one province, dozens of tribes and First Nations communities and hundreds of local municipal and regional governments.

Groundwater is water that accumulates underground. It can exist in spaces between loose particles of dirt and rock, or in cracks and crevices in rocks. Different types of rocks and dirt can contain different amounts of water. The saturation zone is the portion of the soil and rock that is saturated with water, while the unsaturated zone is the portion of the soil and rock that is not saturated. The top of the saturated zone is called the water table.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are a type of intestinal bacteria that cause the majority of ulcers in the stomach and duodenum. They thrive in highly acidic environments and have a unique way of adapting to the harsh environment of the stomach. H. pylori have been classified as low-potential carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) by the World Health Organization.

Hepatitis is the name for several different illnesses all caused by an inflammation of the liver. Drinking alcohol and taking drugs can cause hepatitis, but it can also be caused by a viral infection. Hepatitis A is a disease caused by the Hepatitis A Virus (HAV). It is the most common type of hepatitis, with at least 1.4 million reported cases world wide every year.

Under international human rights laws, water is protected as a human right. In the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, water is not explicitly mentioned as a human right. It was, however, implied through other human rights, such as the right to life, right to an adequate standard of living, and the right to health.

Industrial waste is defined as waste generated by manufacturing or industrial processes. The types of industrial waste generated include cafeteria garbage, dirt and gravel, masonry and concrete, scrap metals, trash, oil, solvents, chemicals, weed grass and trees, wood and scrap lumber, and similar wastes. Industrial solid waste - which may be solid, liquid or gases held in containers - is divided into hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

Lead is a toxic metal found in natural deposits. It can be found in air, soil, dust, food, and water. Lead was commonly used in household plumbing materials and water service lines until 1986. The National Plumbing Code allowed lead as an acceptable material for pipes until 1975 and in solder until 1986. All provinces and territories use the National Plumbing Code as a basis for their own regulations. Regulations regarding lead used in plumbing materials were phased in across the country. Therefore, the timing of when lead service lines and other lead-based plumbing materials stopped being used may differ depending on where you live.

Legionellosis is a lung infection – an uncommon form of pneumonia – caused by a bacterium named Legionella pneumophila. There are two forms of legionellosis: Pontiac Fever, the less severe form, and Legionnaires’ disease, the more severe illness that is potentially fatal.

An interesting fact to think about is that a pound of body fat equates to approximately 3500 calories. Therefore, if a person was to choose water instead of cola 24 times then they would have approximately one less pound of body fat than they would have if they had chosen cola.

Marine Dumping has been defined as the deliberate disposal at sea of wastes or other matter from vessels, aircraft, platforms or other man-made structures, as well as the deliberate disposal of these vessels or platforms themselves. Marine dumping can destroy or degrade important habitats for aquatic species and cause coastal erosion and salutation, which affect the health and productivity of the marine environment.

While there have been improvements to mining practices in recent years, significant environmental risks remain. Negative impacts can vary from the sedimentation caused by poorly built roads during exploration through to the sediment, and disturbance of water during mine construction. Water pollution from mine waste rock and tailings may need to be managed for decades, if not centuries, after closure.

Many mining operators believe that technology will be able to find a solution to the extreme environmental damage that mining operations cause. This is a case of counting the chickens before they hatch, because hazardous wastes are piling up and large areas of land are being left bare, with few plants, trees and wildlife, as mining companies move to more oil-rich areas. Mining companies are quick to point out that recent efficiencies mean that less water and natural gas are required to produce each barrel of oil; industry official say that water is reused up to 17 times. Efficiencies are good, but the increase in oil production requires more water and natural gas than ever before, meaning that these resources are not being conserved.

According to the 2001 Canadian census, there are approximately 21,000 people across Canada who speak the Ojibway language. Nearly all of these live in Ontario (9,670 people) and Manitoba (8,840 people). Nationally, the Ojibway language is the third most spoken language; Cree and Inuktitut are spoken by more people.

Some people believe that all that is required to produce safe water is to have a chlorine residual in the water. This, unfortunately, is not correct. The presence of particles will, in fact, shield pathogenic microbes from being killed by chlorine or other disinfectants. It is, therefore, important to remember that only good quality water can be safely disinfected.

POPs are a group of man-made substances, most of which share characteristics like low water solubility (they do not easily dissolve in water), the ability to accumulate in fat (high lipophilicity), and resistance to biodegradation (they take a very long time to break down and stop being harmful). The name POPs refers to many pollutants such as pesticides like DDT and pollutants like PCBs. These chemicals come from pesticides, industrial chemicals, and are the unwanted by-products of industrial processes or combustion.

The term "pesticide" is a composite term that includes all chemicals that are used to kill or control pests. In agriculture, this includes herbicides (weeds), insecticides (insects), fungicides (fungi), nematocides (nematodes), and rodenticides (vertebrate poisons).

A protozoan is what we call a eukaryotic organism because it is a cell that contains a true nucleus and is bounded by a nuclear membrane. It consists of only a single cell and is so small that we usually can’t see it without using a microscope. The protozoa group is very diverse and has about 50 000 members, each with its own personal characteristics - almost like how every human being is different from another.

Shigellosis is an acute intestinal illness caused by a group of bacteria called Shigella. There are four species of Shigellae; Shigella sonnei (abbreviated S. sonnei or “Type D”), S. flexneri (or “Type B”), S. boydii and S. dysenteriae.

Drinking water is best protected by taking an approach that uses multiple barriers to prevent contamination from affecting our drinking water. Known as the 'multibarrier approach', it includes taking actions to prevent contamination of sources of our water, using adequate water treatment and distribution systems, water testing and training of water managers.

TDS stands for total dissolved solids, and represents the total concentration of dissolved substances in water. The pH value of a water source is a measure of its acidity or alkalinity. The pH level is a measurement of the activity of the hydrogen atom, because the hydrogen activity is a good representation of the acidity or alkalinity of the water.

The most common water treatment tool used in homes on the rural prairie is granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration. This is a treatment technique that functions by removing particles and dissolved organic material (for example: colour), and it should generate water that is better for human consumption.

An ultrafiltration filter has a pore size around 0.01 micron. A microfiltration filter has a pore size around 0.1 micron, so when water undergoes microfiltration, many microorganisms are removed, but viruses remain in the water. Ultrafiltration would remove these larger particles, and may remove some viruses.

It is hard to believe that a virus particle 100 times smaller than a single bacteria cell (which is more than 10 times smaller than a human cell that is ten times smaller than the diameter of a single human hair) can make you feel so miserable.

There are several levels of wastewater treatment; these are primary, secondary and tertiary levels of treatment. Most municipal wastewater treatment facilities use primary and secondary levels of treatment, and some also use tertiary treatments.

But many people in developing countries, and people living in rural areas of developed countries (including many First Nations communities) do not take safe drinking water for granted. They understand the relationship that exists between safe drinking water and good health, because they have experienced waterborne disease firsthand.

Since 1850, some 1300 glaciers have lost 25 to 75 percent of their mass, and most of this decrease has occurred in the last 50 years. The eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains hasshrunk to its lowest level in 10,000 years and what is left is becoming increasingly polluted.

Fluoridation of water is supported by many national and international organizations. The World Health Organizations, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Canada, and multiple dental associations, including the American, Canadian and provincial associations believe water fluoridation helps with dental problems. Health Canada has even declared water fluoridation a public health issue.

Water pollution occurs when energy and other materials are released, degrading the quality of the water for other users. Water pollution includes all of the waste materials that cannot be naturally broken down by water.

A large amount of research and many studies have been conducted to ensure success in new treatment plants using chlorine as a disinfectant. A leading advantage of chlorination is that it has proven effective against bacteria and viruses; however, it cannot inactivate all microbes.

First off, it’s important to understand the discrepancy between the terms “guideline” and “regulation”, as this difference is critically important. The term guideline, can be defined as follows: “a line by which one is guided: an indication or outline of policy or conduct” (MerriamWebster, 2008). Meaning, a guideline is often a benchmark that should be followed, but technically, isn’t lawfully required to be followed.

Campylobacter is the leading cause of bacterial diarrheal illness and is found everywhere! The Campylobacter organism is a bacterium that can cause disease in humans and animals with one species – Campylobacter jejuni – being responsible for most of the human illness cases.

Escherichia coli, also referred to as E. coli, is a type of fecal coliform bacteria that is found in the intestines of healthy warm-blooded animals and humans. Most E. coli strains are harmless and serve a useful function in the body by stopping the growth of harmful bacteria species and by making necessary vitamins. However, some strains can be opportunistic pathogens, while others can cause gastrointestinal illness in healthy humans when ingested.

Hepatitis A is a disease caused by the Hepatitis A Virus (HAV). It is the most common type of hepatitis, with at least 1.4 million reported cases world wide every year. There are six different Hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, D, E, G) - Hepatitis A and E being the only two that are contagious.

Legionellosis is a lung infection – an uncommon form of pneumonia – caused by a bacterium named Legionella pneumophila. There are two forms of legionellosis: Pontiac Fever, the less severe form, and Legionnaires’ disease, the more severe illness that is potentially fatal.

Shigellosis is an acute intestinal illness caused by a group of bacteria called Shigellae. There are four species of Shigellae; Shigella sonnei (abbreviated S. sonnei or “Type D”), S. flexneri (or “Type B”), S. boydii and S. dysenteriae.